Federal Government Investigating After Dozens of Cremated Human Remains Found in Nevada Desert
On tuesday, human cremated remains were discovered in about 70 piles along a dirt road near Searchlight, Nevada, roughly an hour south of Las Vegas. the Bureau of Land Management launched an investigation into the grim find, confirming the ashes were human remains. While scattering ashes on public land in Nevada is legal,the commercial distribution of cremated remains is more regulated. Details remain limited as the investigation continues. Separately, a Las vegas funeral home was shut down for malpractice after failing to properly cremate and dispose of eight bodies, with at least one corpse left to decay for months, causing concern among neighbors and authorities.
The grim discovery of human remains in Nevada on Tuesday launched the Bureau of Land Management into an investigation.
An anonymous passerby discovered about 70 piles of ashes on a dirt road near the community of Searchlight, which is about an hour’s drive south from Las Vegas, according to KLAS-TV.
The Bureau of Land Management later confirmed the ashes were human cremated remains.
Who left 100+ piles of cremated human remains in the desert outside Las Vegas? https://t.co/Ilt2ZHcsMe pic.twitter.com/gOXNJa8gI7
— David Charns (@davidcharns) August 28, 2025
While it is legal to scatter ashes on public land in Nevada, the “commercial distribution of cremated remains” is more restricted, according to KLAS.
The agency hasn’t released many details about the case, as the investigation is still ongoing, according to KVVU-TV in Las Vegas.
⚠️ WARNING: This post contains descriptions of the discovery of human remains.
An investigation has been launched after around 70 piles of cremated human remains were mysteriously found dumped in a mass arrangement in the remote desert outside Las Vegas.
The bizarre scene was… pic.twitter.com/kqPId0PH0I
— True Crime Updates (@TrueCrimeUpdat) August 27, 2025
In an unrelated incident, a Las Vegas funeral home was forced to shut down for malpractice, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported Aug. 11.
McDermott’s Funeral Home and Cremation Services didn’t properly dispose of eight bodies, according to the Nevada State Board of Funeral & Cemetery Services.
One cadaver had reportedly decayed for 10 months.
Michael Trotta, whose business was adjacent to the funeral home, noticed the stench early on.
“I came in a few days, and it was so bad, I couldn’t handle it,” Trotta said. “I had to leave because it was stinking so bad.”
JoAnn Gallant, an employee of Trotta’s, said she had confronted the funeral home owner about the smell.
“I went to talk to the guy, and he said, ‘Oh, no, we keep them on ice,’” Gallant said. “The poor family members of those people. I wish we could have recorded the smell so people could understand how bad it was. We had to go home a lot.”
The funeral home also didn’t file its death records on time, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
Christ Grant, the owner, said he hadn’t cremated the bodies because he was waiting for approvals from Clark County Social Service.
“Human nature is: ‘Funeral Home got closed. I bet they were doing some scummy stuff,’” Grant told the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
“Nobody thinks that me and my staff lost everything. I just lost a 25-year career. I just lost a business that I’ve been building for 8½ years. I just lost the ability to even provide for my family,” Grant said.
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